Hinge



Nov. 23, 1943. T. mmH 2,335,201

HINGE I Fi l ed Oct. 4, 1941 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. THEOD ORE ULRICH $15 ATTO/P/VE Y Nov. 23, 1 943.

'r. ULRICH 2,335,201

HINGE Filed Oct. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

THEODORE ULRICH $41 M 18 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a hinge and more particularly to a hinge useful in hanging automobile doors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door stay hinge which will function to hold a door in open position and which will also function to urge the door to closed position as it approaches such position to prevent the accidental opening thereof by gravity or other light forces, such stay hinge functioning, moreover, to keep a door propped open in either a fully opened or partially opened position.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a door check which functions in two positions of the door to keep the door propped open.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a limit stop of substantial character which will i tion applied thereto and with the hinge and door in closed position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the door pillar shown in Figure 1 but with the door omitted; l

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the hinge shown in Figure 2, showing the hinge in closed position, taken upon a plane as indicated by the line 33' of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the hinge taken upon a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and looking; in the direction of the arrows and also showing the hinge in closed position; 3

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to Figure 3 showing the hinge in the half open position; 7

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view correspond-. ing to Figure 4 but showing the hinge in its half open position; 1

Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding to Figure 3 and showing the hinge in its fully open positioniand I Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view corresponding to Figure 4'but showing the hinge in its fully open position. V r l Referring more particularlyftol the drawings,

in which similar parts are designated by similar reference characters, the device is shown to be employed in an automobile body, one of the outer panels of which appears at Ill. The outer panel I!) may be secured as by welding or other similar means to a door pillar l2 made up of a generally channel shaped element l4 which has its open end closed by a plate I 6. Within the box section formed by the door pillar l2, there is secured the base portion 18 of the door hinge forming the subject matter of the present invention. The base member I8 is generally of U or channel shape and is provided with outturned flanges I! by means of which it is secured to the door pillar l2 by any suitable instrumentalities. Flanges ll may be covered with an escutcheon plate l9 to which the flanges I! are secured and which is provided with an aperture 2| to pass the hinge leaf 28. The base member I8 is provided adjacent the bottom of the U with parallelly-disposed, inwardly-dished portions 20 which are pierced to receive a pivot pin 22. The pivot pin 22 extends through washers 24 adjacent the dished portions 28 and through the inner thickened portion 26 of a hinge leaf 28 which is pierced in its outer portion at 30 in order to secure the same to the interior of the door assembly 32.

The U-shaped base member It} has its sides reinforced and additionally secured to one another by means of a brace element 34 generally of U-shape which spans the space between the sides of the base l8 and is suitably secured thereto as by the spot welding 36. The strap or brace 34 has an additional function which will be later explained.

It will be noted that the hinge leaf 28 is provided intermediate its ends with a re-entrant bend 38, the function of this bend being to permit hinging of the door as close as possible to the outer wall of the vehicle without interfering with the proper functioning of the hinge. It will be understood that the hinge leaf 28 may assume 44 extends at right angles to the general plane of the spring 46, the opposite end 48 of the spring 46 extending parallel but inan opposite direction to the end 44 and being seated in a drilled aperture 49,upon the right side of the hinge leaf 28. The left side wall 58 of the base I8 'as viewed in Figure 2 is provided with a straight slot) 52 having rounded ends for the reception of the upper end 54 of a hairpin spring 55, such end extending at right angles to the general plane of the spring 55. The lower end 58 of the spring 56 extends parallel but in an opposite direction to the end 54 and is seated within an aperture 50 formed in the left side of the hinge leaf 28.

It will be noted that the leaf 28 is shown in Figures 3 and 4 in the closedjposition of the hinge and that in this position the end 54 of v"the automobile body.

the spring 56 has loose engagement with the slot 5 52 while the end 44 of the spring 45 upon the" right side of the hinge is under slight initial. compression between the slot 42 and anchorage 49 so that a slight force is exerted upon the hinge leaf 28 in a direction to rotate the hinge leaf 2B in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 4) about the pivot pin 22.. .Motion of the hinge leaf 28 in a counterclockwise direction as view in Figure 4 is prevented due 'to'the' en'- gagementfof the'door 52 (of the automobile with the ,door jamb and its latching instrumentalities. 1 As the dooris moved from its closed position in being opened, the springs 45 and 56 function as follows: It will be appreciated that the hinge 28 as shown in Figures 3, 5 and 7, movesin a counter-clockwise direction "to open and, as shown invFigures 4, 6 and 8, (which figures are sections taken. upon a plane lookingin the opposite direction from Figures 3, 5 and '7) moves in'a clockwise direction to open. The 'first',portion of the opening movement-results in moving the; end 54 of spring 56 upwardly inthe slot 52 because of the upward motion of end 58 with the hinge leaf 2B in rotating about the pivot' pin 22.

i At thesame time upward movement of the end 48 of spring 46 results in' a shortening or diminu- Y tionof the distance between the ends 44 and 48 of the spring .46 due to the fact that end 44 is,

confined; against"further outward movement within thearcuateslot-42 while end 48 is rotatedaboutpin 22 closer to the outer end of slot 4 2; Accordingly, the spring 45 as shown in Fig- 7 ure 4-must--pass through a dead center position in which the axes of the ends 44 and 48! are aligned with the axisof the pivot pin 22. 'When the dead center position -just referred to is passed, the spring: then exerts 'a forcevtending to rotate the hinge leaf 28 ina clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4 and will continue torexert such a force "until the energy-f the spring. is relieved. or until some 7 intervening force acts upon it. a 1 a is In the case of the present hinge, the invervening force mentioned above takes the form of the cooperating spring 56 which, when it reaches the upper end of the slot'52, at approximately the same' time 'as 'dead center position is reached upon the axes of parts 44, 48 and 22 is placed under tens'ionby the seating of the end 5 4 at the upper end' of the slot 52." When an equal stressing or balance between the springs 45 and 55 is attained, the hinge leaf 28 will come to rest. This position corresponds roughly tothe half bpempositionof the'car door'32f l spring 56 is further compressed as the centers of theends 54 and 58fof'spring 55 approach one another andtass thr ugn-tne deadcenter p9si-' tion 'of th'e ax's o'f the ends 54; and '58., and er the g s n io n hi i a piing :5 5 through its: ends orcetending to rotate the While the hinge 28e is moving from-the osition shown in Figure 5 to that shown in Figure 7, the spring 46, as shown in Figure 6, first has the tension relieved from it and then as it becomes slack, the end 44 moves from the position shown in Figure 6 to that, shown in Figure 8 along the 1 arcuate -slot,42'. -.In other words, the spring 45 is simply idlingfduring the last portion of the opening movement of the door. It will be noted that in the open position of the hinge, the end 44 the idling end of its iof-the spring 46 does not contact the idle end of the slot 42 but is spaced therefrom. It should also be noted that the end 54 of the spring 56 a (in the closed positionof the door) is spaced from the lower end or idle of the slot 52 although in the case of either spring a light contact'with respective slot would be permissible; I i :It will thus be seen that there has 'been'pro- 'vided ahinge which functions in a manner to proplthedoor open in two positions, fully open and half open, and that a. retarding spring is provided which functions to prevent the acceleration of the doo'r'in'itsaclosing direction. It will be appreciatedthat these instrumentalities operdamage ioflthe' hinge, its anchorage or ateinithe same fashion-regardless of the inclinationof the axis upon which the door is hinged.

- At the same time a stopis provided for preventing the door from swinging open beyond a safe position andt forpreventing. the I destruction or the exterior lpanels 0f the vehicle;

- L "While the invention has been described in considerable detail; the 'des'criptionis' not tob'e taken as limiting the invention; 'All' equivalents falling within' t-he scopefof the appended claims are reserved What is claimed is:

' =1. A hinge comprising a base member, a pivot pin attached to said base member,-a hinge leaf having one end journaled on saidpivot pin, a first spring extending-'between'said hinge leaf and said base member and 0l l sing opening movement of said hinge as said hinge leaf is moved 1 from closed positiontoward open position, a seeanchorage. l

ond sprin'g extending between said hinge leaf and -sa'id base member and opposing closing move- -mentof said hinge as said hinge is moved from open position toward closed position, and an- 'chorages for each of saidsprings upon said leaf and base,-one of said anchorages for each spring beingelongated to 'provide lost motion in the 2. A hinge comprising a base member, a pivot pin attached to said base member, af' hinge leaf having one end-journa1ed on said pivot pin, a

first springextending between said Jhinge leaf and said'base member, a first set of anchorages 7 ond spring-extending betwe counterclockwise direction -for said'first spring in said leaf and said base member one of said first set of anchorages being elongated'ito provide llost motion between said spring and" anchorage opposing opening .move ment of sa d hinge as said hinge l,eaf,is irioved "from closed'position toward open position',ja secen said hinge leaf and said base member, and a. s e'cohdset of anchorages 'forsaid scond springin said leaf and base member, one of said second set of anchorages being elongated to provide lost motion between said second spring and said second set of anchorages opposing closing movement of said hinge as said hinge is moved from open position toward closed position, said first elongated anchorage being so disposed as to induce no forces in said first spring in the open position of the hinge and said second anchorage cam surface being so dispose-d as to induce no forces in said second spring in the closed position of the hinge.

3. A hinge comprising a base member, a pivot pin attached to said base member, a hinge leaf having one end journaled on said pivot pin, a

ilrst spring extending between said hinge leaf and said base member and opposing opening movement of said hinge as said hinge leaf is moved from closed position toward open position and effective only through slightly more than the first half of said movement, a second spring extending between said hinge leaf and said base i member and opposing closing movement of said hinge as said hinge is moved from open position toward closed position, said first spring being inoperative in the open position of the hinge and said second spring being inoperative in the closed position of the hinge, said springs being of the hairpin type and having ends anchored respectively in said hinge leaf and said base member, and slots constituting anchorages for said springs so disposed in said base member with respect to one another and to said pivot pin that each spring is efiective and is stressed through slightly more than one-half the travel of said hinge leaf.

4. A hinge comprising a base member, a pivot pin attached to said base member, a hinge leaf having one end journaled on said pivot pin, a iirst spring extending between said hinge leaf and said base member and opposing opening movement of said hinge as said hinge leaf is moved from closed position toward open position, a second spring extending between said hinge ieaf and said base member and opposing closing movement of said hinge as said hinge leaf is moved from open position toward closed position, said first spring being inoperative in the open position of the hinge and said second spring being inoperative in the closed position of the hinge, said springs being of the hairpin type and having ends anchored respectively in said hinge leaf and said base member, and slots providing anchorages for said springs in said base member to permit lost motion of each spring in one or the other direction of travel of the hinge as it approaches either open or closed position.

5. A hinge comprising a channel-shaped base member, a pivot pin extending from side to side of the channel and secured thereto, a hinge leaf iournaled upon said pin and rotatable thereabout to and from closed and open position, spring seats formed in said hinge leaf, and hairpin springs each havin one end anchored in one of said seats and another end anchored in one of two slots formed in said base member, said slots being arranged transverse to one another and so disposed with respect to said pivot pin that each spring is effective through slightly more than one-half the travel of said hinge leaf.

6. A hinge comprising a base including spaced parallel walls, a pivot pin extending between and secured to said walls, a hinge leaf extending into the space between said walls and journaled on said pivot pin, a slot in each of said walls, an aperture in each side of said hinge leaf adjacent each wall, and springs each having one end seated in one of said hinge leaf apertures and its other end anchored in the base slot adjacent said one aperture, said slots being arranged generally transverse to one another and disposed at such a distance from said pivot pin that both springs are effective in the intermediate portion of the hinge leaf travel and one or th other spring is effective toward the limits of travel of the hinge leaf.

'7. A hinge comprising a base including spaced parallel walls, a pivot pin extending between and secured to said walls, a hinge leaf extending into the, space between said walls and journaled on said pivot pin, a slot in each of said walls, an

. aperture in each side of said hinge leaf adjacent each wall, and springs each having one end seated in one of said hinge leaf apertures and its other end anchored in the base slot adjacent said one aperture, said slots being arranged generally transverse to one another and disposed at such a distance from said pivot pin that each spring is effective through slightly more than one-half of the travel of the hinge leaf.

8. A hinge comprising a base including spaced parallel walls, a pivot pin extending between and secured to said walls, a hinge leaf extending into the space between said Walls and journaled on said pivot pin, a slot in each of said walls, an aperture in each side of said hinge leaf adjacent each wall, and springs each having one end seated in one of said hinge leaf apertures and its other end anchored in the base slot adjacent said one aperture, said slots being arranged generally transverse to one another and disposed at such a distance from said pivot pin that each spring is effective through slightly more than onehalf of the travel of the hinge leaf, said springs each being effective during different halves of the travel of the hinge leaf.

9. A hinge comprising a base, a pivot pin supported by said base, a hinge leaf journaled on said pivot pin for rotation thereabout to and from open and closed position, two over-centering springs having ends anchored in said hinge leaf and base respectively and so positioned with respect to said hinge leaf and base that said springs act in series first to oppose and then to assist in movement of the hinge leaf from one to the other of its limits of movement, and anchorages for said springs comprising slots so disposed with respect to one another and to said pivot pin that each spring is stressed by a slot and is effective through slightly more than one-half the travel of said hinge leaf, each said spring being unstressed by its respective slot and idling therein during the remainder of the hinge leaf travel.

10. A hinge comprising a base, a pivot pin supported by said base, a hinge leaf journaled on said pivot pin for rotation thereabout to and from open and closed position, two over-centering springs having ends anchored in said hinge leaf and base respectively and so positioned with respect to said hinge leaf and base that said springs act in series first to oppose and then to assist in movement of the hinge leaf from one to the other of its limits of movement, the range of effectiveness of said springs overlapping at the central position of the hinge leaf in its move ment so that each spring opposes movement in one direction of the hinge leaf away from its central position, and anchorages for said springs comprising slots transversely arranged with respect to one another and each receiving one end of one of said springs and so disposed with respect to said pivot pin that each spring is effeca tiv'ely stressed to biassald hinge leaf only through slightly more than half the'rarige'of travel of said hinge leaf and each spring being so con- .posing closing movement of said hinge as said hing leaf is moved from open position toward closed position, said first resilient means being inoperative in the open position of the hinge and said second resilient means being inoperative in the closed position of the hinge, said resilient, means both being effective and opposing one an-.

other in varying degree over a limited range in the half-open position of the hinge, and anchorages for said springs including slots in said base member in which said springs idle during the ineffective portions of their ranges and which act to stress the springs in the effective portions of their ranges.

12. A hinge comprising a base member, a pivot pin secured to said base member, a hinge leaf journaled on said pivot pin and rotatable thereabout to and from open and closed position, a pair of overcenter springs each extending between said base member and hinge leaf, each spring being effective in a difierent half of travel of said leaf from the other spring and each acting during movement of the hinge leaf first to oppose and then to assist said leaf as it is moved from open to closed position or from closed to open position, and anchorages for said springs including slots in said base member in which said springs idle during the inefiective portions of their ranges and which act to stress the springs in the effective portions of their ranges.

THEODORE ULRICH.

CERTIFICATE OF 00 RRECTI 0N.

Patent No. 2,555,201. November 25, 1915.

THEODORE ULRI CH Itis hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, first column, line 214., claim 5, after "position" and before the comma insert -and effective only through slightiy more than the first half of said movement"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case inthe Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of February, A. D. 19%.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

